Word to the Wise
Thursday, June 5, 2008 - St. Boniface, bishop and martyr
[2 Timothy 2:8-15 and Mark 12:28-34]When Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
One wonders if Jesus' answer is meant to be ironic. The Scribe's understanding shows wisdom and perspective. Picking out the most important of 613 precepts and letting it serve as a lens to understanding all that God demands requires wisdom. However, the Scribe is actually standing there in front of Jesus and therefore is physically close to the kingdom of God! Ultimately it is the acceptance of Jesus in faith that means one enters the kingdom. The perspective of love of God and neighbor can get lost if we become immersed in all the cultural and ritual traditions of Catholicism. It is possible to become more "Catholic" than Christian! We have to keep the core principles in focus. Love of neighbor without love of God is altruism. Love of God without love of neighbor is a lie. If we expect to enter the kingdom and want to know how to do this, we can't do any better than remember this dialogue between Jesus and the Scribe. AMEN